Timecrimes DVDReview

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Spanish thriller offers inventive time-traveling twists.

By R.L. Shaffer

Héctor is enjoying a simplistic, calm evening with his wife. He's resting comfortably in his lounge chair in the backyard when, in the distance, he witnesses a beautiful young girl shedding her clothes. After his wife leaves to grab some dinner for the two of them, he heads into the woods to investigate the nude teen.

And from there, Héctor embarks on a vicious nightmare seasoned with brutal twists and turns, wrought with Hitchcockian themes (Héctor's penchant for voyeurism), Wes Craven-inspired thrills and chills (a masked killer comes into play) and a dash of originality thrown in for good measure (the film involves time paradox). It's no surprise Hollywood is primed to remake this cult thriller.

See, shortly after Héctor investigates the teen, he ends up being chased by a mysterious bandaged killer -- responsible for the nude teen's possible death. He then stumbles upon a scientist who convinces Héctor to step into a strange tank of white liquid. A few seconds pass and Héctor escapes the tank only to discover he's traveled one hour back in time.

Now he has a choice -- does he return to his own time or does he prevent the teen from being murdered? But, even bigger, darker questions linger. Who is Héctor now? Does he even exist? And could any alterations he make cause the problems he experienced in the first place.

Each idea is expounded upon during the film's tense 90-minute running time. Héctor quickly learns that virtually every move he makes seems predestined -- mapped out by another variation of himself. The paradox grows and grows until it's almost mind-boggling to grasp the simple, yet disturbingly complex narrative.

This isn't your ordinary slasher, nor is it your ordinary time-travel film. This is a perfect marriage of both subgenres, winding the audience into a Lost-like adventure tangled with sci-fi twists, slasher shocks and searing tension.

Oddly though, it seems like replay value might not be very high, particularly after the third or fourth go-around. It might take two or three viewings to really grasp all the little idiosyncrasies and clues the plot leaves behind, but the narrative whole is sure to grow a little tiresome.

Still, this is an extraordinarily fascinating time-travel picture. It's always awesome to see films and TV shows that dabble with time paradox. While the science behind the theories is a bit meaty, the idea never grows dull. Wrapping one's mind around the possibilities a paradox provides is simply too good to pass up. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to learn that the writers behind season five of Lost weren't in some way inspired by this film's clever twists and turns.

Much of this is thanks to first-time feature film director Nacho Vigalondo, who also serves as the film's writer. Vigalondo indulges in the story's complexities, cramming as much intrigue and mystery into the simplistic plot as humanly possible. He even crafted a viral internet game to help promote the film (an idea the director admits was borrowed from Lost).

Unfortunately, the film is moderately bogged down by dizzying plot convolutions and a somewhat lazy first act that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. Obviously, Vigalondo is setting his audience up, but having the scientist convince Héctor to get in the tank felt like a stretch -- as though I was about embark on a really dumb film (the film does have its dumb moments). Perhaps a few tweaks could have provided a far less wobbly start.

Karra Elejalde, who plays Héctor, is also not the most compelling lead on the planet. He does a decent job, but a stronger actor with a more commanding persona would have helped create a deeper sense of mystery, fear, sadness and dread, particularly as the character goes through a few drastic alterations (and deteriorations).

Honestly though, the flaws are outweighed by the film's clever premise and engaging execution. This is a movie that forces you to pay close attention and rewards you with great twists and turns. With a little luck, the American remake will do the same and hopefully improve on the film's introductory moments, fixing some of the silly errors that distract from this otherwise fine time-traveling slasher/thriller.